1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to reception forcing methods for mobile communication systems, mobile communication systems and managing centers, and more particularly to a reception forcing method for making a forced reception at a subscriber who subscribes to a so-called screening service in a mobile communication system, to a mobile communication system which employs such a reception forcing method, and to a managing center within such a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A screening function enables rejection of all incoming calls, accepting only incoming calls with a predetermined password, rejecting an incoming call from a caller who is registered in a call rejection list, for example. In the mobile communication system, the subscriber can utilize the above described screening function by subscribing to the screening service.
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram generally showing an example of a conventional mobile communication system which provides the screening service. This mobile communication system employs the code division multiple access (CDMA) as the access system to and from the mobile terminals. As shown in FIG. 1, mobile switching centers (MSCs) 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), . . . accommodate base stations 2(1), 2(2), 2(3), 2(4), 2(5), 2(6), . . . , and the base stations 2(1) through 2(6), . . . connect to mobile terminals 1A, 1B, . . . via radio lines. The MSCs 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), . . . are mutually connected via mobile trunk centers 4(1), 4(2), . . . . Home memory centers 5(1), . . . are provided in this mobile communication system, as managing centers. The home 5 memory centers 5(1), . . . are connected to the MSCs 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), . . . via signaling lines, and manage position information and the like of each of the mobile terminals 1A, 1B, . . . . The position information and the like are stored and managed in hole location registers (HLRs) of the home memory centers 5(1), . . . .
FIG. 2 is a diagram generally showing an example of a conventional signaling sequence with the screening function. For the sake of convenience, it is assumed that a subscriber A of the mobile terminal 1A calls a subscriber B of the mobile terminal 1B which subscribes to the screening service. When the subscriber A originates a call with a calling party (source) telephone number Sub-A and a called party (destination) telephone number Sub-B, the MSC 3(1) on the originating end (originating-MSC) inquires the position information and the like of the destination subscriber B to the home memory center 5(1) by a location request INVOKE. The home memory center 5(1) checks service start conditions of the subscriber B, and judges whether or not the screening function of the subscriber B is turned ON. If the screening function of the subscriber B is turned ON, the home memory center 5(1) carries out various processes of the screening function, such as releasing the call, and returns a location response RETURN RESULT with the access rejecting reasons to the originating-MSC 3(1). The originating-MSC 3(1) releases the connection with the subscriber A in response to the location response RETURN RESULT.
On the other hand, in a case where the screening function of the subscriber B is turned OFF, the home memory center 5(1) sends a routing request INVOKE to the MSC 3(3) on the serving end (serving-MSC). When a routing response RETURN RESULT is received from the serving-MSC 3(3) in response to the routing request INVOKE, the home memory center 5(1) sends a location response RETURN RESULT to the originating-MSC 3(1) in response to the routing response RETURN RESULT. As a result, the originating-MSC 3(1) sends an initial address message IAM and the like to the serving-MSC 3(3), and the serving-MSC 3(3) carries out a normal termination call sequence between the destination subscriber B and sets a line. Hence, a communication becomes possible between the source subscriber A and the destination subscriber B.
According to the existing screening service, if the destination subscriber subscribes to the screening service and turns the screening function ON, the destination subscriber also does not accept a call from a specific source other than the general user, even if the specific source is a network manager. In other words, the screening service does not enable the subscriber to accept a call without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function, that is, to accept a call in a state where the screening function is turned ON.
For this reason, even in a case where the network manager wishes to make an important notification to the subscriber of the screening service, for example, there was no means of notifying the subscriber in a state where the screening function is turned ON. In order to make such a notification, the subscriber must once turn OFF the screening function by himself, and the existing screening service may not necessarily be satisfactory from the point of view of the system maintenance.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful reception forcing method for mobile communication system, a mobile communication system and a managing center, in which the problems described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a reception forcing method for mobile communication system, a mobile communication system and a managing center, which enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
Still another object of the present invention to provide a reception forcing method for a mobile communication system which includes a managing center, comprising the steps of (a) registering in advance identification information which is related to each caller permitted to make a forced reception in the managing center, (b) originating a call from a caller by adding identification information of the caller when making a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and (c) forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination subscriber is turned ON, if the identification information of the caller is registered in the managing center. According to the reception forcing method of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a reception forcing method for a mobile communication system which includes a managing center, comprising the steps of (a) registering in advance each access number which permits a forced reception in the managing center, (b) originating a call from a caller by using a called party telephone number as the access number when making a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and (c) forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination mobile terminal is turned ON, by obtaining the called party telephone number from the caller if the access number of the destination subscriber is registered in the managing center. According to the reception forcing method of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication system comprising a managing center managing position information of mobile terminals and registering in advance identification information which is related to each caller permitted to make a forced reception, means for originating a call from a caller by adding identification information of the caller when making a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and means for forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination subscriber is turned ON, if the identification information of the caller is registered in the managing center. According to the mobile communication system of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication system comprising a managing center managing position information of mobile terminals and registering in advance each access number which permits a forced reception, means for originating a call from a caller by using a called party telephone number as the access number when making a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and means for forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination subscriber is turned ON, by obtaining the called party telephone number from the caller if the access number of the destination subscriber is registered in the managing center. According to the mobile communication system of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a managing center for managing position information of mobile terminals used in a mobile communication system, comprising registering means for registering in advance identification information which is related to each caller permitted to make a forced reception, means for receiving a call which is originated from a caller, added with identification information of the caller, and instructing a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and means for forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination subscriber is turned ON, if the identification information of the caller is registered in the registering means. According to the managing center of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a managing center for managing position information of mobile terminals used in a mobile communication system, comprising registering means for registering in advance each access number which permits a forced reception, means for receiving a call originated from a caller, using a called party telephone number as the access number, and instructing a forced reception at a destination subscriber, and means for forcing a reception at the destination subscriber by avoiding a screening function of the destination subscriber regardless of whether or not the screening function of the destination mobile terminal is turned ON, by obtaining the called party telephone number from the caller if the access number of the destination subscriber is registered in the registering means. According to the managing center of the present invention, it is possible to enable a call from a specific source such as a network manager to be accepted by a subscriber without changing the subscriber conditions of the screening function or the service start conditions.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.